| Unlike a lot of illuminated keyboards, this bad boy is the full-sized and standard layout. Illumination comes around each key and through each letter, rather than through the key itself, which makes it much easier to use in the dark.
| | This keyboard is awesome! |
| I have the blue version also, I recently purchase the red one. For me this is great becuase the computer I use for games is in a dimely lit room, sometime with only the TV and the computer on. So I struggle constantly to see the letters on the keys. Not only does this keyboard look cool, I can see the keys! I wish I had thought to look for one of these a long time ago. You can also adjust the brightness of the light.
| | I play lots of games of all kinds of genres (strategy, shooters, role playing) and so of course I needed a good keyboard to keep me company.
I have to say that I've been pretty satisfied with my decision.To be honest, there aren't too many keyboards out there that make you jump up and down with delight, but this one nevertheless does its job admirably. The keys feel nice and smooth, and they are also quite soft and quiet, which is great for gamers (and late night typists) who don't want to be disrupted by a sound resembling a pneumatic drill.
Function-wise, this keyboard keeps it simple. You've got your basic keys, plus a few discreet buttons in the top right which are (from left to right): lower volume, raise volume, mute sound, and cycle keyboard brightness. Although I would have liked a 'pause' button for movies and music, I like the fact that they keep the extra buttons to a minimum- it encourages you to actually use them, since too often keyboards give you a plethora of shortcut buttons which simply aren't accessible to use.
As for the backlighting... well, to be honest, it hasn't made that much of a practical difference to me (I touch type anyway, so I don't really need to see the keys- plus, when gaming, my fingers use the same few keys). Nevertheless, it has added a lot to the visual appeal of my desk. The black finish goes really well with my equally black BenQ FP202W monitor. The red lighting makes it look especially nice, without it drifting into the over the top territory of 'gaming bling' styling, which seems to dominate so many hardware manufacturers' premium products.
My one complaint: when the foldable stands on the forward part of the keyboard are not up, the keyboard slopes downwards. This is kind of annoying, as your fingers need to stretch a little bit more to get to the top row of keys- especially when you're playing an intense first-person game where the WASD keys are in constant use. The reason I find it annoying is that the plastic parts that help tilt the keyboard upwards a bit more are kind of flimsly, and it annoys me that I have to rely on them. This isn't a big problem though, and as a gamer and an everyday computer users, I recommend this keyboard.
Furthermore, if you're not sure that red appeals to you, these keyboards are available with different backlighting. Also, if you're a gamer, many preferred this keyboard's predecessor (of the same name, I believe); the reason being that it came with an extra number pad type thing which was useful for binding macros.
| | Pros:
- Quiet and well balanced keys
- Controlable Backlighting (Off + 2 levels)
- Does not slide easily
- Stylish
Cons:
- Special characters cannot be distinguished in the dark with backlighting on (have to lean over and close in to see them)
- Num Lock and Caps Lock lights are way too bright relative to rest of keys(very annoying if you use Num Lock all the time)
- Sound controls are not backlit
- No media controls
| | For the person who has everything! (Also very functional). Most important, the QWERTY area is visibly well lit no matter how you position yourself to type; each letter is well defined. I would have to say though, that this keyboard looks best when you sit directly over it as much as possible. This is best made possible by placing the keyboard on a slide out keyboard tray such as the one that slides from under my desk.
If I were to nitpick.... Even in this ideal position, some keys are not evenly lit; some portions of the character black out. For example, the '@' above the 2 is not illuminated entirely and evenly. However, you can live with this. You see just enough to know what it is!
In addition, the most important thing is that the QWERTY area is well illuminated. Most keys that do suffer uneven lighting, suffer uneven lighting only to the slightest degree. I chose the red version over the blue for reasons I've read over the net. Apparently, looking at the color red affects night vision less than other colors. After extensive use of this keyboard, I've had no complaints!
This keyboard is a delight to use in low light environments; no more fiddling about with desk lamps in a futile attempt to make out your keys! This solution is much more elegant. The defining attributes of this keyboard outweigh its very few and very minor foibles. Buy this keyboard! It well set you well on your way to feeling as if you are Mission Commander!
Note that the Logitech illuminated keyboard is a close competitor but I have not used it before to be able to make a comparison.
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